With more and more parts of the state opening back up, many construction sites will be opening up again and thousands of construction workers can head back to work. How will their worksites look different now after COVID-19? And what measures should be in place to protect our workers?
On-Site Regulations
In addition to inspections, new construction site regulations will apply to all essential and non-essential sites. Workers may need to be on staggered schedules to limit the number of workers on-site at any given time. This may increase worksite hours, as well as projected timelines for project completion.
Each morning, everyone at the worksite should have their temperature checked once they arrive, and should be sent home if they register too high. This will be an interesting new move on construction sites, as historically workers are asked to work as much as possible and rarely stay home if they’re not feeling well.
Hand washing stations should increase on-site, and faces will need to be covered at all times. The most difficult part, however, may be following social distancing guidelines. It is recommended to stay 6 feet apart from one another as best as possible. This may prove to be quite difficult in some spaces and during many tasks on site.
Regularly Inspected Worksites
The Department of Buildings is already regularly inspecting all essential construction sites to ensure compliance with emergency orders and on-site regulations. According to the City of New York’s website, essential construction is defined as work on:
Roads
Bridges
Transit facilities
Utilities
Hospitals or health care facilities
Homeless shelters
Affordable and public housing
Public or private schools
Projects in the energy industry
Existing projects of essential businesses
Local government agencies
As of publication date, NYC has not yet reopened all of its other construction sites. However, Carlo Scussura, CEO of the New York Building Congress, and our NYC mayor, Bill de Blasio are working on a reopening strategy for non-essential construction.
We expect that upon reopening, The Department of Buildings will also be regularly inspecting these worksites to ensure compliance of social distancing where applicable, proper use of face coverings, and compliance of any other standing restrictions.
We are here for you and are following all of the on-site protocols for construction worker safety. If improper safety measures were in place and you or someone you know was injured on a worksite, contact Loscalzo & Loscalzo, P.C. at (646) 846-4776 to discuss your case with one of our personal injury attorneys today.